Central Notes: West, Jennings, Horford
David West felt that staying with the Pacers would have been a risky move because of his desire to get a championship ring, he told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star during a Q&A session. The veteran power forward shocked the basketball world by declining his $12.6MM player option with the Pacers to sign for approximately $1.5MM with the Spurs during the offseason. But West couldn’t bear the thought of sitting out another postseason. “It really came down to watching the playoffs for the first time in how many years, not being in the playoffs and then ultimately watching the Finals and just saying: ‘[Forget] it, man. You can’t roll the dice next year.’ Because that’s what I felt I would be doing,” West told Buckner. “People were telling me: ‘Opt in and then demand a trade!’ That’s just not me. I’ve never been motivated by money.”
In other news around the Central Division:
- Brandon Jennings will not jump into the Pistons’ rotation during their two-game road trip prior to Christmas, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Jennings still hasn’t regained all of his lateral mobility, despite playing 27 minutes for the team’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids on Saturday night. “I think more on the defensive end, I’m still having trouble right now pushing off, trying to get through screens, which is still expected,” Jennings told Langlois. “So my lateral movement is something I have to work on.” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Langlois that Steve Blake would remain the backup point guard for time being.
- Pistons center Andre Drummond is averaging 18.2 points and a league-high 16.4 rebounds and Celtics coach Brad Stevens expects Drummond to play in his first All-Star game this season. “He’s an All-Star right now, for sure,” Stevens said last week to the media, including Hoops Rumors. “Eighteen-16 is no joke and he’s doing it against the best of the best. Every time the ball hits the rim, you’re fearful he’s going to get it. And his rim runs draw so much attention off of pick-and-rolls that their shooters get more open looks.”
- The Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, has acquired power forward Jon Horford off waivers, Adam Johnson of the D-League Digest tweets. Horford, the 24-year-old younger brother of Al Horford, signed with the Bucks prior to training camp but was waived in early October.
Central Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Pistons, Love
Jimmy Butler and Fred Hoiberg met Sunday, a day after Butler made sharply critical comments about the coach, and they had what a source who spoke with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune called a “good talk.” Bulls management likes the work it’s seen from both of them, and with both in the first year of respective five-year deals, neither is going anywhere, Johnson posits. Still, some around the Bulls are dismayed about what they perceive as Butler’s selfishness and perplexed about why he’s reluctant to embrace Hoiberg’s offense, Johnson hears. The former 30th overall pick often warms up on his own, which rubs others the wrong way and prompted Joakim Noah to have a talk with him, a source said to Johnson. Butler’s sympathizers contend that he’s just frustrated that there aren’t many who work as hard as he does, Johnson adds. See more on Butler amid the latest from the Central Division:
- Butler is simply embracing the gritty attitude most would want out of a superstar, argues Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com, who points out that the swingman hasn’t said Hoiberg can’t coach or that the team made a mistake with his hiring.
- Any trade proposal to the Pistons would have to represent a marked upgrade in terms of talent for the team to bite, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy cautioned, as Aaron McCann of MLive.com notes. “I like the chemistry and character of our group,” Van Gundy said. “We won’t make lateral moves or marginal moves because continuity is important.”
- Kyrie Irving‘s return from injury Sunday challenges the Cavs to keep Kevin Love engaged in the offense to the degree that he has been so far this season, observes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love felt confident as he re-signed with the team this summer that his second season in Cleveland would be better than his first, when he appeared an afterthought at times next to Irving and LeBron James.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Pistons, Sixers
Paul George, viewed by many as the leader of the Pacers, misses having a veteran teammate like David West around, of the Indianapolis Star writes. West signed with the Spurs after he turned down a $12.6MM player option with the Pacers.
“I called him Uncle West,” George told Buckner, “just [his] knowledge of the game and the conversations we would have away from the game. For me being 21, 22 years old, that was stuff that stuck with me and has helped me with this unit having younger guys. A lot of stuff that I’m going through now … I was able to vent to David about. About officiating, about play calls, what’s going on out in the court. That was my person I vented to and he was the one who set me straight.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- After a successful rehab game in the D-League, point guard Brandon Jennings believes he has to earn a spot in the Pistons‘ rotation with backup point guard Steve Blake playing well, David Mayo of MLive.com details. Hoops Rumors’ Dana Gauruder recently profiled Jennings as a trade candidate because Jennings has an expiring contract at $8,344,497. “If I’ve got to earn my second spot, then let’s practice for it. Let’s go play for a spot. I’m with it. I’m up for it,” Jennings said.
- Reserve point guard Tony Wroten supports the Sixers‘ recent string of moves, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. To recap, the Sixers hired Mike D’Antoni as an associate head coach and hired Jerry Colangelo to a front office role. “Obviously the organization is trying to help the situation,” Wroten said. “And you know, talking to guys like Kendall [Marshall] that have played for him, D’Antoni, he loved him. So I’m looking forward it. And Colangelo, I’m looking forward to changes, and things might become better.”
Central Notes: Jennings, Irving, Harris, Butler
After playing in his first game in nearly 11 months Saturday, Brandon Jennings was among three players recalled from the D-League today by the Pistons, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Jennings, who suffered a ruptured left Achilles January 24th, was sharp for Grand Rapids with 11 points and 12 assists in 27 minutes, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “He’s looking good; he’s still trying to get acclimated and get back,” said Reggie Jackson, one of several Pistons teammates who attended the game. “You see the burst and the flashes and we all know the player he can be. … He’s someone we’re going to need when he gets back.” Beard speculated that Jennings could return to NBA action December 26th or 29th. Reggie Bullock and Darrun Hilliard were also recalled from Grand Rapids.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Jennings’ decision to use Grand Rapids as part of his rehab process may help change the way the D-League is used, writes Peter J. Wallner of MLive. Other players have practiced with D-League affiliates when coming back from injuries, but Jennings is the first big name to use the minor league similar to the way baseball players do. “I think this the tip of the iceberg and is the way the league should be used,” said Grand Rapids coach Otis Smith. “… For them [Pistons] to have the forethought or comfort to have him play with us is beneficial to them, but really sends a message and is beneficial for this league.”
- The Cavaliers are also getting an injured point guard back, as Kyrie Irving is expected to play today against the Sixers, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. It will be his first action since fracturing his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “There is no specific reason on why now,” Irving said. “… I finally got the full clearance from my doctors and our training staff, and that’s all I needed.”
- The Cavaliers have recalled Joe Harris from their D-League affiliate in Canton, the team announced today. He has appeared in 10 games with the Charge, averaging 16.4 points, and five with Cleveland.
- The Bulls have internal concerns about Jimmy Butler‘s “hesitancy” over the offense installed by new coach Fred Hoiberg, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The tweet comes in the wake of critical comments Butler directed at Hoiberg Saturday night.
Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Morris, Ilyasova
The Pistons added many new pieces during the offseason and the team is just starting to gel, but President of Basketball Operations/coach Stan Van Gundy is always keeping an eye out for upgrades, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.
“You’re always on the lookout for a guy that you think either now or for the future appreciably changes your talent,” Van Gundy said. “You really approach it the same way you always do — you’re talking and seeing what’s out there, but there hasn’t been anything that’s even made us take a second look, at this point.”
Still, Van Gundy values continuity and he’s happy with the team as currently constructed.
“I don’t think you can truly get good until you have some continuity to what you’re doing,” Van Gundy said. “We’ll be pretty careful — not to say we’re not looking. Jeff’s on the phone every day and you’re always looking. You’re doing your diligence, but at the same time, we like our group.”
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- Offense has been a huge improvement for the Pistons this season, as they are averaging 101.8 points per game, up from 98.5 points per game last season. The next step in the team’s progression is getting offseason acquisitions Marcus Morris and Ersan Ilyasova more involved, Aaron McMann of Mlive.com writes. “We know what Marcus can do, we’ve still got to find and he’s got to find better ways to get the ball in his spot,” Van Gundy said. “I think Ersan has fit very well. He’s been able to find his shots without us doing a whole lot for him.”
- Keith Langlois of NBA.com examines the Van Gundy tenure in Detroit and notes that only three players — Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brandon Jennings — remain from when he took over front office duties in May of 2014.
Eastern Notes: Yormark, Harrellson, D-League
Nets CEO Brett Yormark is excited about the coming offseason and the free agent possibilities it brings, NetsDaily relays. “This will be the first time we’ve been able to test free agency and really realize the power of Brooklyn, the power of our brand and the commitment that ownership continues to make,” Yormark said. “We’ve got a good story to tell — with the addition of our $50MM practice facility and the D-League franchise — and I think we’ll be in a position where we’ll be able to add to Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic and some of the other younger pieces, and bring in the necessary pieces to turn things around quickly. I’m excited about that opportunity, but obviously we have to make all the right decisions and we have to plan now. … I think there’s a chance here to really build something special.” Brooklyn is currently projected to have between $32MM and $38MM in free cap space next summer.
Here’s more from the East:
- Wizards camp cut Josh Harrellson has signed with the Latvian club VEF Riga, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 26-year-old averaged 3.9 points in 7.3 minutes per game over seven preseason appearances for Washington this year.
- Brandon Jennings‘ decision to accept a rehab assignment in the D-League is a testament to the point guard’s commitment and love of the game, according to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. It also demonstrates the value of the franchise having its own D-League affiliate, Langlois adds. “I think it shows how important the commitment [team owner] Tom [Gores] was able to make to have a D-League team and putting money into it,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve already gotten a value of last year sending Spencer Dinwiddie and Quincy Miller there and this year sending Spencer and Darrun [Hilliard] down. Now you’ve got a guy who can be a big part of what you do and you’ve got somewhere close by where you can send him and he can play. Those kinds of things seem minor when we’re talking about ownership commitment, but that’s a big one. We can send Brandon there to get significant minutes.”
- The Raptors assigned shooting guard Norman Powell to their D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). This will be Powell’s first jaunt to the Raptors 905 this season.
- The Pistons have assigned Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, the team announced via press release. This will be Hilliard’s fourth stint with the Drive and Bullock’s first.
Pistons Assign Brandon Jennings To D-League
2:45pm: The assignment has officially taken place, the Pistons announced via press release.
“This is a great example of the many benefits our D-League team offers, supporting [owner] Tom Gores’ vision to push for a hybrid affiliation with the Grand Rapids Drive,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said. “It gives Brandon an opportunity to go play in a game, work on his conditioning and compete in a similar system that’s being run by [Pistons D-League coach] Otis Smith and his staff.”
12:41pm: The Pistons will assign Brandon Jennings to the D-League, Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy confirmed today to reporters, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). The news is no surprise, as Jennings said Wednesday that he was 80% certain he’d play Saturday for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League team, in their game against the Iowa Energy, the affiliate of the Grizzlies. It’s a rehab stint for Jennings, who hasn’t appeared in a game since suffering a torn left Achilles tendon in January. He plans to make his return to NBA action December 29th in Detroit’s road game at New York, as Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com reported.
The assignment requires approval from both Jennings and the National Basketball Players Association, since Jennings has more than two years of previous NBA experience. It’s not unheard of for players and the union to give the OK for D-League trips, and it happened just this past weekend with Jeremy Evans and the Mavericks. Rajon Rondo is the most prominent player to have been assigned to the D-League since the current rule went into place for the 2013/14 season, but his stint with Boston’s D-League affiliate in 2014 encompassed only one practice, and he didn’t appear in a D-League game. The Knicks received approval from Amar’e Stoudemire and the union to send Stoudemire on a three-day D-League assignment in 2012, but he, too, only practiced with the D-League squad. Jennings, who’s making more than $8.344MM this season, will continue to earn his NBA salary while in the D-League, where most of his temporary teammates are making between $13K and $25,500.
He will return to a much different situation in Detroit than the one he was in when he got hurt. The Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson in February and re-signed him to a five-year, $80MM deal in the offseason, leading to speculation that Detroit will trade Jennings, who’s in the final year of his contract. Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors examined his trade candidacy in depth earlier this month. Still, Van Gundy said this week that he’s yet to have a single conversation with another team about dealing him.
Central Notes: Jennings, Ellis, Bucks
Brandon Jennings plans to return to the lineup for the Pistons on December 29th in a game against the Knicks in New York, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link), but Jennings said Wednesday that an 80% chance exists that he plays on D-League assignment first, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has appeared to publicly encourage Jennings to accept a D-League assignment, which would require both Jennings and the union to consent because he has more than two years of experience, but the point guard appears willing.
“I don’t care. I just want to play, man. I just want to get out there and hoop and see where it’s at,” Jennings said, according to Ellis.
A D-League trip for Jennings would represent the fifth time this season that a veteran player and the union have given the OK to a D-League trip. That happened with three Sixers, as I noted earlier this month, and this past weekend with Jeremy Evans of the Mavericks. See more from the Central Division:
- Pacers free agent signee Monta Ellis is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, he told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, and he and assistant coach Nate McMillan are confident he’ll start playing better as the season goes on, as Buckner details. Head coach Frank Vogel believes the struggles of Ellis are a result of adjusting to a new role, not his advancing age, Buckner adds.
- Bucks coach Jason Kidd said he spoke with Greg Monroe, Khris Middleton, O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee, all of whom showed up in TMZ Sports videos depicting them in a Los Angeles strip club late at night before the team’s loss to the Lakers this week, relays Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said he didn’t think their partying was a contributing factor to the loss, but, coincidentally or otherwise, the Bucks are reportedly the likely trade destination for veteran leader Caron Butler.
- Bucks preseason cut Marcus Landry has signed with San Sebastián Gipuzkoa of Spain, a source told international journalist David Pick. Radio Marca Donostia first reported the signing would take place (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
Central Notes: Jones, LeBron, Love, Scola, Jackson
LeBron James‘ affection for James Jones runs deep, and the same is true for Kevin Love, who said Jones may well be his best friend in the NBA, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details. Jones re-signed with the Cavaliers this summer on a one-year, minmum salary deal.
“I told J.J., as long as I’m playing, he’s going to be around,” James said last week. “He’s not allowed to stop playing basketball. So, I’m going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever had.”
Jones is 35 and James turns 31 later this month, so it would be tough for Jones to hang in the league for the rest of LeBron’s career, but it’s nonetheless clear that the two are close. See more from Cleveland amid the latest from the Central Division:
- It was watching his Cavaliers teammates doggedly pursue a championship during the finals last summer that served as the last bit of convincing Love needed to make up his mind to re-sign with the team, Love says, according to McMenamin, who writes in separate piece.
- The Pacers and Luis Scola talked a couple of times while he was a free agent in July, but the team didn’t make an offer for him to re-sign, and Scola and agent George Bass got the impression the team didn’t intend to make one, the power forward told Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. Scola, 35, signed instead with the Raptors for one year and $2.9MM, and he said to Agness that he’s pleased with Toronto so far.
- Reggie Jackson drew motivation from the commitment that the Pistons showed when they gave him a five-year, $80MM deal this summer, and the deal signaled that the team’s executives “did their homework,” Jackson told TNT’s David Aldridge for his NBA.com Morning tip.
Eastern Notes: Okafor, Stokes, Jennings
Sixers rookie center Jahlil Okafor has already experienced various off–court incidents, but he and the team look at them as an opportunity for growth, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune writes. “Those of us who know him or get a chance to talk to him, all you have to do is look at him and let him interact and you see there’s goodness in him,” coach Brett Brown said. “He’s a good guy. The situation that happened was unfortunate. He was ashamed, he was embarrassed. That seems like a distant memory.”
“I’m sure there are scars, but raising anybody in the NBA, let alone somebody that has a profile like he has at 19 years old, there are challenges all over the place,” Brown continued. “In a twisted way, I hope we look back at that experience — all of us, from a program’s perspective, from his perspective — and it toughens him up, it hardens him, it teaches him a real hard life lesson. We’re with him. I am personally with him. I’m very fond of him.”
Here’s more from the East:
- The Pistons have not discussed any potential trades regarding injured point guard Brandon Jennings, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. “We haven’t one talk with anybody about him,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “I just think that people assume that with Reggie Jackson here and the way Brandon played last year, I think people just make that assumption. He’s no more or less available than anybody else we have. Until he’s back on the court and playing, there’s nothing to even talk about. My preference is, that when he’s fully healthy, he’s able to help us. That’s my preference. I’ve even talked to him about a vision going forward where he helps us even beyond this. But right now, we’re just trying to get him back.”
- Bulls center Joakim Noah‘s minutes have been down this season, though according to coach Fred Hoiberg, that is more a product of the team’s frontcourt depth than a decline in the big man’s performance, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays. “That’s the luxury, slash, problem we have with our bigs,” Hoiberg said. “It’s not always going to be the same guy. Taj Gibson finished the last game with Pau Gasol. Nikola Mirotic has finished a lot of games for us. And it was Jo [Saturday]. That’s what we have. We’ve got the depth to play different lineups and go with the guy that’s getting the job done.“
- The Heat have recalled power forward Jarnell Stokes from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, the team announced. Stokes has appeared in seven games during his two stints with the Skyforce, averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.29 steals, 1.14 blocks in 29.0 minutes per contest.